A typical fuel cell power system includes a power section in which one or more stacks of fuel cells are provided. The efficacy of the fuel cell power system depends in large part on the integrity of the various contacting and sealing interfaces within individual fuel cells and between adjacent fuel cells of the stack. Such contacting and sealing interfaces include those associated with the transport of fuels, coolants, and effluents within and between fuel cells of the stack.
Presently, the process of building a stack of fuel cells using conventional approaches is tedious, time-consuming, and not readily adaptable for mass production. By way of example, a typical 5 k kW fuel cell stack can include some 80 membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), some 160 flow field plates, and some 160 sealing gaskets. These and other components of the stack must be carefully aligned and assembled. Misalignment of even a few components can lead to gas leakage, hydrogen crossover, coolant leaks, and performance/durability deterioration.
Moreover, fuel cell MEAs are very fragile and need to be handled very carefully to prevent electrical shorting, pinholes, and wrinkles formed on the membrane, for example. MEA contamination is another significant concern during fuel cell stack assembly. Presently known stack assembling processes are so labor intensive that cost effective manufacturing of fuel cell systems may not be achievable using conventional approaches.
There is a need for an improved fuel cell assembly and packaging methodology that incorporates a cooling capability. There is a further need for a fuel cell assembly and cooling apparatus that facilitates efficient assembling and disassembling of fuel cell stacks equipped with cooling structures. There is a further need for recycling useful components in fuel cell stacks and systems. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.